Educational toy parachute

ABSTRACT

An educational toy missile capsule which preferably takes the form of a missile of the Apollo series and has an upper internal compartment which houses a parachute sail on a platform. The platform is slidably mounted in a pair of grooves inside the capsule and is generally locked in its lower position. A helical spring is attached to the platform so that it provides torsion that urges the platform into locking notches when the platform is in its lower position and biases the platform toward its upper, parachute releasing position so that it slides upward in its guiding grooves to force the parachute sail out the top of the missile capsule when it is released from the locking notches while itself being retained in the capsule by a retaining shoulder in the missile body. A timing motor is fixed in the lower internal compartment of the missile body, and the lower portion of the missile is fixed to the rotatable time setting shaft of the timing motor so that it is rotatable relative to the rest of the capsule and determines the time of release of the parachute sail after the timing motor is set in motion. The parachute ejecting platform is provided with a pair of tangs or ears which protrude into the lower compartment, and the lower rotatable part of the missile body is provided with a pair of protruding lugs that extend up into the lower compartment to engage the platform tangs and rotate the platform out of the locked position when the timing motor has run down so that the spring bias forces the platform to its &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;up&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; position, thereby forcing the parachute out of the missile body.

United States Patent [191 Worley I 4] EDUCATIONAL TOY PARACHUTE Ray Worley, 10320 Wunderlich Ave., Cupertino, Calif. 95014 [22] Filed: July 12, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 378,565

[76] Inventor:

Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-J. Q. Lever [5 7] ABSTRACT An educational toy missile capsule which preferably takes the form of a missile of the Apollo series and has an upper internal compartment which houses a parachute sail on a platform. The platform is slidably Mar. 26, 1974 mounted in a pair of grooves inside the capsule and is generally locked in its lower position. A helical spring is attached to the platform so that it provides torsion that urges the platform into locking notches when the platform is in its lower position and biases the platform toward its upper, parachute releasing position so that it slides upward in its guiding grooves to force the parachute sail out the top of the missile capsule when it is released from the locking notches while itself being retained in the capsule by a retaining shoulder in the missile body. A timing motor is fixed in the lower internal compartment of the missile body, and the lower portion of the missile is fixed to the rotatable time setting shaft of the timing motor so that it is rotatable relative to the rest of the capsule and determines the time of release of the parachute sail after the timing motor is set in motion. The parachute ejecting platform is provided with a pair of tangs or ears which protrude into the lower compartment, and the lower rotatable part of the missile body is provided with a pair of protruding lugs that extend up into the lower compartment to engage the platform tangs and rotate the platform out of the locked position when the timing motor has run down so that the spring bias forces the platform to its up position, thereby forcing the parachute out of the missile body.

8 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDMAR26 m4 sum 2 or 3 slvselazs [Ill EDUCATIONAL TOY PARACHUTE SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The missile emulates the take-off and landing operational modes of the Apollo series and teaches by demonstration the relationships between time of flight and distance in both free flight and return under parachute because the time for parachute ejecting can be set over a wide range. That is, the chute can be set to eject at the top of the height that can be achieved by the missile launcher or at any point along its flight either on its way up or during its return to earth. Thus, object lessons are taught in the possible time-distance relationships as well as relationships of acceleration and deceleration for the missile ascending and descending both with and without parachute.

In carrying out such objects a parachute sail is contained in and secured to the body of a missile capsule and forcibly efected at a preselected time after launching, or release, by securing the sail in the missile body under a spring load and providing a time mechanism which can be programmed to release the spring-loaded parachute ejector at a variable but preset time. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, together with further objects and advantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with its accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the toy capsule returning to earth under full sail;

FIG. 2 is a central vertical section through the capsule along section lines 22 of FIG. 1 showing the condition of parts in solid lines positioned to eject the parachute and parts in phantom in the locked position prior to chute ejection;

FIG. 3 is a central vertical section like FIG. 2 except showing the parachute fully contained within the capsule and all parts held to prevent chute ejections;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a section through the capsule taken along section lines 4-4 of FIG. 3 and illustration parts in position to maintain the parachute locked in the container and with arrows to illustrate how it is released and ejected;

FIG. 5 is .a partially broken away plan view of a section through the capsule taken along section lines 5-5 of FIG. 3 again illustrating the parts viewed in position to keep the parachute locked in the housing and again arrows indicate the direction of rotation required to release and efect the parachute;

FIG. 6 is a view looking up into the capsule retainer cap along section lines 6-6 of FIG. 3 showing guy string connections between the capsule and the parachute sail and also between the parachute sail and retainer cap;

F IG. 7 is a broken away sectional view along section line 77 of FIG. 3 illustrating the locking and ejecting mechanism of the capsule;

FIG. 8 is a detailed broken away section view of the area enclosed'in section 8-8 of FIG. 3 showing a single guy line connection between the parachute sail and capsule body as well as how the retainer cap fits in the capsule body; and

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The missile 10 descending under parachute sail 12 is illustrated in FIG. 1. As may be seen from the figure the missile body is in this embodiment given the configuration of the Apollo series. The sail 12 is connected to the missile body 10 by a series of guy lines 14 which are connected at one end to points equidistant around the periphery of the sail and at the other end to points equidistant around the upper portion 16 of the missile body so that the missile is carried in perfect balance on descent. It may also be seen from this figure that the lower portion of the missile body 18 has a key 20 connected by a line 21 and the sail 12 has a cap.22 (cap for the upper body portion) connected by a line 23 to the center of the sail 12. The function of the cap 22 and key 20 will be explained subsequently.

The central vertical section through the missile body 10 of FIG. 2 shows the parts of the device just prior to ejection of the parachute sail l2. Referral to the exploded view of FIG. 9 will help with a understanding of the assembly and location of parts. Reference to the section shows that the upper body portion 16 is a generally hollow frusto-conical member preferrably made of light weight molded plastic with a generally cylindrical or cup shaped cavity 24 which houses the sail 12 when the missile is fully assembled. Note that the sail is held in the cavity and the cavity closed by the housing cap 22. Also contained in the cavity 24 is a platform 26 which is shown in its upper position in FIG. 2.

Actually with the platform 26 in its upper position, the sail 12 is pressed against the body closure cap 22 so that both are pressed out of the upper body portion 16 and the sail 12 will be extended on its guy wires 14 as illustrated in FIG. 1. This is indicated in FIG. 2 by the dotted arrows 27 which point upward.

The biasing force which presses the platform 26 upward in upper body cavity 24 is provided by a tapered helical spring 28 that is fixed at its upper end to the bottom of the platform 26 and at its lower end to the top side of a plate 30 which forms the bottom closure for the upper body portion 16. As indicated by the phantom lines in FIG. 2, when the platform 26 is in is lower position the helical spring 28 is compressed between the platform 26 and the bottom closure plate 30 thereby providing an upward bias (force) on the platfonn 26. The compressed helical spring 28 may also be clearly seen in the sectional view of FIG. 3.

The guy lines 14 are attached to the upper lip of the upper body portion 16 by means of a spring clip 32 (best seen in FIGS. 8, 7, 6, and 2) which fits in a groove just under the portion of the lip where the closure cap 22 is press fit. It will be noted that the spring clip 32 is provided with equally spaced bites 33 which protrude outward to form loops where the guy lines 14 are'tied.

In order to reassemble the missile, the parachute sail 12 is pressed into the cavity 24 (see FIG. 3 particularly) until the platform 26 is depressed and the helical spring 28 compressed. The cap 22 is then press fit into place to close the missile body 10. As has already been noted, the platform 26 is spring biased upward therefore special provision must be made to retain the platform 26 in its lower position. This is accomplished through cooperation between vertical guiding grooves 34 which extend down diametrically opposite sides of the cavity 24 in the upper body portion 16, outwardly extending ear-like tangs 36 on opposite sides of the platform 26, retaining recesses 38 which are located at the bottom of the grooves 34 and the biasing helical spring 28. The tapered helical spring is set so that it not only biases the platform 26 toward its upward position but it also torques the platform 26 for counter clockwise rotation when looking down at the top of the platform as illustrated in the view of FIG. 5.

Assuming that there is no interference to the counter rotation of platform 26 when it is pressed down, the tangs 36 slide down the guiding grooves 34 until the platform 26 reaches the bottom of the grooves at which time the rotational bias of the helical spring 28 rotates the platform so that the tangs 36 slide into the retaining recesses 38 and the platform cannot rise again (even though it is biased upwards) until a clockwise rotating force is applied to move the tangs 36 back into the grooves 34.

In order to understand how the platform 26 is freed to cause ejection of the chute sail 12, the configuration of the lower part of the ejecting platform 26 and the lower body portion 18 along with the cooperation therebetween must be considered. First, note that the bottom portion of the platform 26 has a pair of diametrically opposed downwardly extending lugs 40 which protrude through elongated apertures in the bottom plate 30 into the internal part of lower body portion 18. FIG. 4 shows (solid line) the platform 26 in locked down position and the parts of the lower body portion 18 in position where lockdown can occur.

The lower body portion 18 is provided with internal diametrically opposed upwardly extending tabs 44 which are spaced to match the downwardly extending lugs 40 on the platform 26. Thus, when tabs 44 are rotated counter clockwise (looking down as in FIG. 4) they engage lugs 40 and rotate the platform 26 until the tangs 36 thereon are moved out of the recesses 38 into the vertical grooves 34 in the cavity 24 of upper body portion 18 and the helical spring 28 presses the platform 26 upward (see arrows of FIG. 7) which, in turn, ejects chute sail 12 and top cap 22.

Diametrically opposed shoulder stops 46 are provided inside the lower body portion 18 near the outer periphery to match downwardly extending nipples 48 on the bottom of bottom closure plate 30 so that the lower body portion 18 will stop rotating when the chute sail 12 has been ejected. Note also that when the lower body portion 18 and upper body portion 16 are in the ejection position, the platform 26 cannot be lowered because the tabs 44 on the lower body portion 18 remain in the eject position. Therefore, in order to lower the platform 26 and insert the sail 12 the lower body portion 18 is rotated to the position illustrated by the solid lines in FIG. 4 (the number 1 position) and the key is inserted in the matching slot 50 and 51 in the upper body and lower body portions respectively. The platform 26 may then be lowered and will be locked in position by reason of the torsional or rotational bias of the tapered helical spring 28.

The timing action and rotational force for the lower body portion 18 is provided by means of a conventional timing motor 52 which is fixed to the center of the bottom closure plate 30 for upper body portion 16 and enclosed by the lower body portion 18. The shaft 54 of the timing motor 52 is aligned with the vertical axis of the missile housing 10 and has a pair of lands 56 on its lower end which fit in a slot 58 on the lower body portion 18. The lower body portion 18 is securely fixed to the motor shaft 54 by a screw 60 which extends through the lower body portion 18 into the end of the shaft 54. Thus, the lower body portion 18 rotates the timer motor shaft 54 when it is rotated and visa versa.

desired amount to'set the desired time and the missile is tossed in the air or otherwise launched. After the set time has elapsed, that is, the timer has rotated the lower body portion 18 relative to the upper body portion 16 by the set amount the chute sail 12 is ejected and the missile floats to the ground.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will of course be understood that the invention is not limited thereto since many modifications in these arrangements, and in the instrumentalities employed may be made. It is contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An educational toy missile capsule having a housing, a parachute sail portion enclosed within said housing, a plurality of flexible guy lines each having one end attached to said sail portion at points spaced around its periphery and the opposite ends thereof each attached to a portion of said body at intervals whereby said sail portion supports said housing in a balanced manner when said sail is filled with air, retaining means positively to retain said sail portion in said housing, ejector means forcibly to eject said sail portion whereby air is captured in said sail portion thereby to spread said sail portion, timing means for activating said ejector means, and means for preselecting a time over a range of times at which said timing means activates said ejector means thereby providing for selection of the time lapse after launching at which the said sail portion is ejected thereby selecting the time during missile flight when said sail portion becomes effective.

2. An educational toy missile capsule as defined in claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a hollow upper portion defining a cup-like cavity to receive said parachute sail and guy lines and a cap portion attached to the said sail portion releasably held over the said cavity to enclose said parachute sail; and a lower housing portion mounted for rotation substantially in a plane orthogonal to the vertical axis of said housing whereby rotation in one sense sets the said timing means, the degree of rotation determines the time lapse to activation of the said ejector and rotation to the end of travel in the opposite sense activates the said ejector means whereby the said sail portion and said attached cap are forcibly ejected at the time set.

3. An educational toy missile capsule as defined in claim 2 wherein said ejection means included a platform member mounted in the said cavity defined in the upper portion of said housing for slidable motion along the vertical axis thereof and a spring member biasing said platform toward the top of said housing, said retaining means holding said platform down and said spring member in its biased condition when said timing means is set whereby said sail portion is retained in said body and said spring member forces said platform member upward in said housing when said retaining means is released whereby said platform member forces said sail and cap portion to be ejected.

4. An educational toy missile capsule as defined in claim 2 wherein said timing means includes a timer motor rigidly mounted to the bottom of said upper housing portion and having a rotary shaft for setting the time lapse of said timer, the shaft of said timer motor being essentially aligned with the vertical axis of said upper housing body, said lower housing portion rigidly mounted on the said shaft of said timer motor whereby rotation of said lower housing portion rotates said timer motor shaft and rotation of said timer motor shaft rotates said lower housing portion and key means for locking and releasing the position of said lower housing portion with respect to said upper housing portion.

5. An educational toy missile capsule as defined in claim 3 wherein said timing means includes a timer motor rigidly mounted to the bottom of said upper housing portion and having a rotary shaft for setting the time lapse of said timer, the shaft of said timer motor being essentially aligned with the vertical axis of said upper housing body, said lower housing portion rigidly mounted on the said shaft of said timer motor whereby rotation of said lower housing portion rotates said timer motor shaft and rotation of said timer motor shaft rotates said lower housing portion and key means for locking and releasing the position of said lower housing portion with respect to said upper housing portion.

6. An educational toy missile capsule as defined in claim 4 wherein said retaining means includes ear-like tangs protruding outwardly from the periphery of said platform, tang mating recess means located around the lower internal portion of the said cavity in the upper housing portion and the said spring member which biases said platform upward, said spring member comprising a tapered helical spring retained between the bottom of said platform and the bottom of said upper housing portion and secured to both to rotatably bias said platform by said tangs are spring biased into the said tang mating recess means, said internal cavity of said upper housing portion having shoulders defining vertical guides offset from but open to said tang mating recess means whereby said platform freely rises under the said spring bias when said tangs are rotated from said recesses to the said guide grooves.

7. An educational toy missile capsule as defined in claim 5 wherein said retaining means include ear-like tangs protruding outwardly from the periphery of said platform, tang mating recess means located around the lower internal portion of the said cavity in the upper housing portion and the said spring member which biases said platform upward, said spring member comprising a tapered helical spring retained between the bottom of said platform and the bottom of said platform by said tangs are spring biased into the said tang mating recess means, said internal cavity of said upper housing portion having shoulders defining vertical guides offset from but open to said tang mating recess means whereby said platform freely rises under the said spring bias when said tangs are rotated from said recesses to the said guide grooves.

8. An educational toy missile capsule as defined in claim 7 wherein said ejector means includes lugs on said platform extending into the said lower housing portion and matching tabs on the inside of said lower housing portion which engage said lug when the said timing motor shaft rotates the said lower housing portion to the end of the preselected time period such that said platform is rotated to the extent necessary to move the said tangs from said mating recesses to the said grooves whereby said platform is forced upward in said upper housing portion thereby to eject said parachute sail. 

1. An educational toy missile capsule having a housing, a parachute sail portion enclosed within said housing, a plurality of flexible guy lines each having one end attached to said sail portion at points spaced around its periphery and the opposite ends thereof each attached to a portion of said body at intervals whereby said sail portion supports said housing in a balanced manner when said sail is filled with air, retaining means positively to retain said sail portion in said housing, ejector means forcibly to eject said sail portion whereby air is captured in said sail portion thereby to spread said sail portion, timing means for activating said ejector means, and means for preselecting a time over a range of times at which said timing means activates said ejector means thereby providing for selection of the time lapse after launching at which the said sail portion is ejected thereby selecting the time during missile flight when said sail portion becomes effective.
 2. An educational toy missile capsule as defined in claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a hollow upper portion defining a cup-like cavity to receive said parachute sail and guy lines and a cap portion attached to the said sail portion releasably held over the said cavity to enclose said parachute sail; and a lower housing portion mounted for rotation substantially in a plane orthogonal to the vertical axis of said housing whereby rotation in one sense sets the said timing means, the degree of rotation determines the time lapse to activation of the said ejector and rotation to the end of travel in the opposite sense activates the said ejector means whereby the said sail portion and said attached cap are forcibly ejected at the time set.
 3. An educational toy missile capsule as defined in claim 2 wherein said ejection means included a platform member mounted in the said cavity defined in the upper portion of said housing for slidable motion along the vertical axis thereof and a spring member biasing said platform toward the top of said housing, said retaining means holding said platform down and said spring member in its biased condition when said timing means is set whereby said sail portion is retained in said body and said spring member forces said platform member upward in said housing whEn said retaining means is released whereby said platform member forces said sail and cap portion to be ejected.
 4. An educational toy missile capsule as defined in claim 2 wherein said timing means includes a timer motor rigidly mounted to the bottom of said upper housing portion and having a rotary shaft for setting the time lapse of said timer, the shaft of said timer motor being essentially aligned with the vertical axis of said upper housing body, said lower housing portion rigidly mounted on the said shaft of said timer motor whereby rotation of said lower housing portion rotates said timer motor shaft and rotation of said timer motor shaft rotates said lower housing portion and key means for locking and releasing the position of said lower housing portion with respect to said upper housing portion.
 5. An educational toy missile capsule as defined in claim 3 wherein said timing means includes a timer motor rigidly mounted to the bottom of said upper housing portion and having a rotary shaft for setting the time lapse of said timer, the shaft of said timer motor being essentially aligned with the vertical axis of said upper housing body, said lower housing portion rigidly mounted on the said shaft of said timer motor whereby rotation of said lower housing portion rotates said timer motor shaft and rotation of said timer motor shaft rotates said lower housing portion and key means for locking and releasing the position of said lower housing portion with respect to said upper housing portion.
 6. An educational toy missile capsule as defined in claim 4 wherein said retaining means includes ear-like tangs protruding outwardly from the periphery of said platform, tang mating recess means located around the lower internal portion of the said cavity in the upper housing portion and the said spring member which biases said platform upward, said spring member comprising a tapered helical spring retained between the bottom of said platform and the bottom of said upper housing portion and secured to both to rotatably bias said platform by said tangs are spring biased into the said tang mating recess means, said internal cavity of said upper housing portion having shoulders defining vertical guides offset from but open to said tang mating recess means whereby said platform freely rises under the said spring bias when said tangs are rotated from said recesses to the said guide grooves.
 7. An educational toy missile capsule as defined in claim 5 wherein said retaining means include ear-like tangs protruding outwardly from the periphery of said platform, tang mating recess means located around the lower internal portion of the said cavity in the upper housing portion and the said spring member which biases said platform upward, said spring member comprising a tapered helical spring retained between the bottom of said platform and the bottom of said platform by said tangs are spring biased into the said tang mating recess means, said internal cavity of said upper housing portion having shoulders defining vertical guides offset from but open to said tang mating recess means whereby said platform freely rises under the said spring bias when said tangs are rotated from said recesses to the said guide grooves.
 8. An educational toy missile capsule as defined in claim 7 wherein said ejector means includes lugs on said platform extending into the said lower housing portion and matching tabs on the inside of said lower housing portion which engage said lug when the said timing motor shaft rotates the said lower housing portion to the end of the preselected time period such that said platform is rotated to the extent necessary to move the said tangs from said mating recesses to the said grooves whereby said platform is forced upward in said upper housing portion thereby to eject said parachute sail. 